


Dying to Check It Out (Accidentally)

by Draco_Amante



Series: Drabble Challenge 2015 with Unkissed [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 00:12:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3708181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draco_Amante/pseuds/Draco_Amante
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabble Prompts: Merman, infamy, green.</p><p>Albus receives an unusual birthday present.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dying to Check It Out (Accidentally)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unkissed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unkissed/gifts).



> A bit shorter than I could perhaps have managed, maybe I'll come back to this one day.  
> However, I couldn't resist the idea of mirroring Harry's own Black Lake adventure, with a dash of some of my favourite Nextgen kids.

The day the Scamander twins almost drowned Albus Potter in the lake was legendary. Of course, the details changed with every retelling, but the resultant infamy was much enjoyed by Lorcan (and secretly by Lysander, who encouraged all sorts of insane additions to the plot of the tale).  
Of course the truth was they hadn’t intended to drown Albus at all, for all that Lorcan privately thought Al to be a bit of a twit - after all, if they tried to drown everyone Lorcan considered silly, they’d have to drown most of wizarding Britain.

*

“Look, I heard Scorpius say that Albie really wants to see a mermaid. So, it’d be a great present, right?” Lysander murmured to Lorcan, not quite quiet enough that no-one gave them suspicious looks.  
“You’re proposing to dump him in the Black Lake after force-feeding him gillyweed.” Lysander grinned broadly, replying,  
“Sounds like your cup of tea, doesn’t it?” Lorcan couldn’t really argue with that assessment, and they began to plan in earnest.

*

It was November 15th, 2018, and it was freezing.  
Albus was wearing what felt like all of his clothes, his bright green scarf obscuring half of his face, the rest of it scowling from under his black wool hat.  
“Why are we out here again?” he muttered at Lysander, annoyed but very aware of Lorcan’s skulking presence behind them. For a Firstie, Lorcan Scamander had one hell of a scary face.  
“Because we got you a birthday present!” They stopped at the edge of the Lake, and Al sighed heavily, looking across the grey surface.  
“Ok, then what is it?” The grin on Lysander’s face was so sweet and innocent, and as he handed Al a handful of something green, Al forgot something very important.

Lorcan was still standing behind him.

The next thing Al knew he was underwater, and sinking due to the sheer weight of all his clothes.

“Um, Lorcan? Do you think we should have made him take off his shoes?”  
“...I think we should have made him take off that huge coat.”

*

In the end, Albus Severus Potter did see a mermaid.  
Well, the merman who carried him to shore, and Al remembered it all as a sort of half-dream due to inhaling water; but as Lysander sheepishly pointed out, Albie did technically receive his birthday present - one merperson, up close and personal.

Luckily, Ginny Potter thought the whole thing was hilarious (since her son survived), and made a point of bringing the incident up several times over the next few years; much to Lysander’s embarrassment and Lorcan’s secret glee.


End file.
